Cancer Survivor Fights Back Against Cruel Meme

Don't be a dick on the Internet. In a perfect world that would go without saying, but unfortunately it's more popular than ever to make fun of strangers online in pursuit of a few likes. Those who do so rarely spare a second thought to those they could be hurting in the process of trying to be funny, but it's important to remember that behind every meme or viral video, there exists a real person.

Leon Mitchell II is a cancer survivor, business owner, husband, father, and seems like an all-around decent guy, so imagine his surprise when a photo of himself went viral for all the wrong reasons. The Internet had dubbed him "Meth Curry," due to his vague resemblance to NBA star Steph Curry. Mitchell does have a thin frame, but not because of drug addiction (not that it's ok to make fun of addicts either); he survived a rare form of cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

When Mitchell got wind of his likeness being used as part of a cruel joke, he took to Instagram and posted the most heartfelt response ever.

"The fact that the meme was posted was a reminder of how distasteful and cruel people can be without background knowledge of the person in the bullseye of the target." Preach it, Mitchell! If I were to ever find myself in such a situation, I could only hope to handle it as eloquently as he did. I bet whoever started this whole thing is starting to feel like a real dick right about now.